Iraq War: Ten Years Later

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the war in Iraq. Saddam was taken down but with the cost of over thousands and thousands of lives, even well after his execution. While I'm all for bringing a dictator down, it was unnecessary as it only escalated problems rather than solve it.

Hell no. One of uncle Sam's uglier moments as the global policeman.

Talk about stirring the hornets nest.

Hussein should still be over there running the show.

Eh.....I still don't understand why the administration let the Iraqi people off the hook by not making them pay for their liberation with oil sales to America. I guess it would have given more fuel to the conspiracy theories that Bush only went in for the oil, but how else was Iraq supposed to pay for the blood, sweat, and treasure Americans poured into freeing them?

Still, Hussein was a vicious bastard. He got what he deserved.

Control wrote:

Hussein should still be over there running the show.

Regrettably I think there's credence in this view. I say this as someone who was born amidst a shower of Iraqi SCUDs.

Iraq is BFF's with the Iranian regime and sells its oil to China. If that's what US imperialism is supposed to look like, then they're doing it wrong. The Yanks lost 4,000 good men and women and a trillion dollars so Iraqis could have the freedom to murder each other over whether they belonged to the People's Front of Judea or the Judean People's Front. Not every country needs Western democracy foisted on them, especially not ethnically and religiously fissile states like the Middle East's version of Yugoslavia. That was the pretext anyway. I suspect the truth is far murkier.

Then there was the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction, which was the big thing Bush tried to sell to Americans.

The U.S. brought down a Dictator and a mass murderer who used biological and chemical weapon on innocent men, women and children.

Iran and North Korea and Syria, you are next!

People are just too opinionated nowadays.

If this happened in 1945, Hussein instead of Hitler, no one would had complained.

Hussein, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pinochet, etc etc - just another Dictator and Mass Murderer that needed to go.

There's a major difference between Nazi Germany and Iraq under Hussein.

The US wasn't attacked by Iraq, they had no business being there (other than ulterior motives). After Afghanistan they should've followed al-Qaeda right into Pakistan.

Sure, Pakistan has nukes but a tactical strike could've disarmed them quickly. I still think once we found out they were harbouring bin Laden all diplomatic ties should have been cut, at least, and gone to war at best. It's political cowardice that the US strikes these other countries and lets the guys who actually attacked them and are actually supporting those criminals go free.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/iraq-war-vet-letter-bush-cheney-tomas-young-154541674.html

Veteran soldier writes his last letter to Bush and Cheney:

Quote :

The Last Letter

A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran

To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
From: Tomas Young

I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care.

I write this letter on behalf of husbands and wives who have lost spouses, on behalf of children who have lost a parent, on behalf of the fathers and mothers who have lost sons and daughters and on behalf of those who care for the many thousands of my fellow veterans who have brain injuries. I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all—the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.

You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.

I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.

Your positions of authority, your millions of dollars of personal wealth, your public relations consultants, your privilege and your power cannot mask the hollowness of your character. You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage.

I joined the Army two days after the 9/11 attacks. I joined the Army because our country had been attacked. I wanted to strike back at those who had killed some 3,000 of my fellow citizens. I did not join the Army to go to Iraq, a country that had no part in the September 2001 attacks and did not pose a threat to its neighbors, much less to the United States. I did not join the Army to “liberate” Iraqis or to shut down mythical weapons-of-mass-destruction facilities or to implant what you cynically called “democracy” in Baghdad and the Middle East. I did not join the Army to rebuild Iraq, which at the time you told us could be paid for by Iraq’s oil revenues. Instead, this war has cost the United States over $3 trillion. I especially did not join the Army to carry out pre-emptive war. Pre-emptive war is illegal under international law. And as a soldier in Iraq I was, I now know, abetting your idiocy and your crimes. The Iraq War is the largest strategic blunder in U.S. history. It obliterated the balance of power in the Middle East. It installed a corrupt and brutal pro-Iranian government in Baghdad, one cemented in power through the use of torture, death squads and terror. And it has left Iran as the dominant force in the region. On every level—moral, strategic, military and economic—Iraq was a failure. And it was you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, who started this war. It is you who should pay the consequences.


I would not be writing this letter if I had been wounded fighting in Afghanistan against those forces that carried out the attacks of 9/11. Had I been wounded there I would still be miserable because of my physical deterioration and imminent death, but I would at least have the comfort of knowing that my injuries were a consequence of my own decision to defend the country I love. I would not have to lie in my bed, my body filled with painkillers, my life ebbing away, and deal with the fact that hundreds of thousands of human beings, including children, including myself, were sacrificed by you for little more than the greed of oil companies, for your alliance with the oil sheiks in Saudi Arabia, and your insane visions of empire.

I have, like many other disabled veterans, suffered from the inadequate and often inept care provided by the Veterans Administration. I have, like many other disabled veterans, come to realize that our mental and physical wounds are of no interest to you, perhaps of no interest to any politician. We were used. We were betrayed. And we have been abandoned. You, Mr. Bush, make much pretense of being a Christian. But isn’t lying a sin? Isn’t murder a sin? Aren’t theft and selfish ambition sins? I am not a Christian. But I believe in the Christian ideal. I believe that what you do to the least of your brothers you finally do to yourself, to your own soul.

My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who deserved to live. I hope that before your time on earth ends, as mine is now ending, you will find the strength of character to stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness.

Wow.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

The US wasn't attacked by Iraq, they had no business being there (other than ulterior motives). After Afghanistan they should've followed al-Qaeda right into Pakistan.

Sure, Pakistan has nukes but a tactical strike could've disarmed them quickly. I still think once we found out they were harbouring bin Laden all diplomatic ties should have been cut, at least, and gone to war at best. It's political cowardice that the US strikes these other countries and lets the guys who actually attacked them and are actually supporting those criminals go free.

Your argument that the US wasn't directly attacked by Iraq therefore should not have invaded is sustainable yet in the very next sentence you say that the US should invade Pakistan, which hasn't directly attacked the USA either. That's somewhat illogical and inconsistent.

As for the argument that America should launch a tactical strike on a nuclear power when America's national psyche was so damaged by mere improvised weapons on 9/11, well...

j7wild wrote:

People are just too opinionated nowadays.

Oh, the irony.

j7wild wrote:

Iran and North Korea and Syria, you are next!

.

God preserve us. Comments like this that make you wonder.

-

At the time it seemed worth going in but quickly, despite my support for the troops it went the other way as quickly. Iraq and Afghanistan were not and are not this country's finest hour nor indeed America's. Some say we (the allies) should've gone into Iran as apparently this might've worked out better before they got to where they are now. Who knows. We've paid with our dearest blood with these adventures.

j7wild wrote:

Iran and North Korea and Syria, you are next!

Besides the costs which would be immense and would be a further drain on the current economy, would it solve anything? What is next China? And then?

The US and most western naties would have been better off having Iran & Iraq batteling each other, as they were very busy with. Now there is no more direct conflict for both and their roaming eyes will undoubtely pick up something western or religiously different than the flavor of the day over there. I liked them better spending their money on batteling eachother.

Syria is a horrible civil war where the end result just might end in a situation as it was before but only a different head in power.

North Korea is the best enemy to have, they are funny and sad at the same time. All their power is located in one country and they have no real allies if they would go to war not do they really have the capability.

The biggest threat would be that big block of former Soviet states that have become Islamic countries in central Asia. We know not enough about them and neither has there been a real valid attempt to find out more. They could become the backbone for an expansion of the Taliban out of Afghanistan. And as soon as the Allied forces are gone they are back. We can only hope that heir influence does not grow to hard in the neighbours country Pakistan which would mean they get nuclear capability. scary thought.

All the recent wars againts terrorism have only increased hatred against Western society and their religion, the amount of Muslim extremists and their sympathisers has grown instead of become less. That is the result of two very ill-chosen wars which has been propaganda for the Muslim-extremists and we keep feeding their fears.

Oh you well know countries are build on conquest, blood and taking over other races.

The U.S. was built on conquering the Indians, the American Indians, the Mexicans and then putting down the Germans twice and the Japanese.

You Brits with your pompous prim and proper attitude act all saint like but you forgot most of the countries that exist right now were once British Colonies or were created and founded by the British.

How many millions of men, women and children worldwide were murdered and slaughtered in the name of the British Empire for the Queen?

Groups of people in their own land that the British Empire conquered, raped and pillaged of their dignity and their humanity and their resources and then left to rot and fend for themselves.

Most of today's African countries were once British Colonies and now those countries are dirt poor.

Modern Iraq was created by the British, so was Burma and Ireland and India and many others were either founded by the British or were once under British control like Afghanistan.

Many of the problems we have today in these countries are remnants of the Arrogance of British (and also French) thirst to conquer the World.

At least what the U.S. has done in less than 300 years has been to help the world and not conquer and colonize it.

The U.S. goes into Iraq and the world condemns it!

How many times has the British and the French and the Dutch done that?

Start a war with another country for personal economical and financial gain and invading it without a just reason?

Way too many times to count!

Compared to you Brits, we are Saints!

You are the Sinners!

Finally, you've forgotten why the U.S. was founded!

To get away from you conquering, pillaging, controlling, arrogant Redcoats!

We didn't want to be your slaves and to be another one of your Colonies!

Calm your tits. Saint Mark isn't even British.

j7wild wrote:

Oh you well know countries are build on conquest, blood and taking over other races.

The U.S. was built on conquering the Indians, the American Indians, the Mexicans and then putting down the Germans twice and the Japanese.

You Brits with your pompous prim and proper attitude act all saint like but you forgot most of the countries that exist right now were once British Colonies or were created and founded by the British.

How many millions of men, women and children worldwide were murdered and slaughtered in the name of the British Empire for the Queen?

Groups of people in their own land that the British Empire conquered, raped and pillaged of their dignity and their humanity and their resources and then left to rot and fend for themselves.

Most of today's African countries were once British Colonies and now those countries are dirt poor.

Modern Iraq was created by the British, so was Burma and Ireland and India and many others were either founded by the British or were once under British control like Afghanistan.

Many of the problems we have today in these countries are remnants of the Arrogance of British (and also French) thirst to conquer the World.

At least what the U.S. has done in less than 300 years has been to help the world and not conquer and colonize it.

The U.S. goes into Iraq and the world condemns it!

How many times has the British and the French and the Dutch done that?

Start a war with another country for personal economical and financial gain and invading it without a just reason?

Way too many times to count!

Compared to you Brits, we are Saints!

You are the Sinners!

Finally, you've forgotten why the U.S. was founded!

To get away from you conquering, pillaging, controlling, arrogant Redcoats!

We didn't want to be your slaves and to be another one of your Colonies!

If that's your reasoning than I am proud to be British, because if you're a Saint my friend I'd sooner roast in Hell.

Cool your jets, stop making idiot posts, stop double spacing and contribute something beyond paranoid drivel. Consider it a warning.

Hilly layin down da LAW...

Largo's Shark wrote:

Hilly layin down da LAW...

:*p*: Past caring Sharks. No offence to you. Far be it to echo the gauleiters on the nuMI6. Pfft :)

God save your Queen, Jay Seven.

Hilly wrote:

Cool your jets, stop making idiot posts, stop double spacing and contribute something beyond paranoid drivel. Consider it a warning.

What paranoid drivel?

Go read your British history, brush up on it and see what the British Empire has done to the countries and people they colonized and conquered throughout their history.

Ever see the movie Braveheart?

Are you saying that was all made up?

You are like some of my friends, when it comes to the subject of Slavery in America, who say: "I didn't do it to them. Those were my ancestors. I had nothing to do with that."

And don't tell me not to double space.

That's how I write and that's how I was taught:

It makes reading it easier than having every line garbled together in one continuous paragraph with no spacing.

I don't tell you how to write.

At least I am using proper spelling and grammar and punctuation.

Would you rather I misspell everything, not use any punctuation, write run on sentences and have plenty of grammatical errors in my posts?

Just glancing at some of the other threads, I count at least 6 other members that use double space (INCLUDING YOU) yet I don't see you jumping on them for it.

Playing favorite again?

j7wild wrote:

Ever see the movie Braveheart?

Are you saying that was all made up?

Quote :

You are like some of my friends, when it comes to the subject of Slavery in American, who say: "I didn't do it to them. Those were my ancestors. I had nothing to do with that."

Good point.

By the way, your Roman ancestors killed Jesus.

j7, drop it.

Also, go post some titty photos at the Bottoms Up Club, go at it!